An article for blind fixing is known from FR 2 761 127 comprising a first part provided with two flexible feet which in the absence of urging assume a resting position in which they can be introduced into an opening in a support and a second part comprising a fixing leg adapted to cooperate with the first part such that the fixing leg can be introduced through the first part to attain a locking configuration in which the support or fixing leg urges apart the flexible feet of the first part against the walls of the opening in the support.
This article may thus be locked onto the support by pushing the fixing leg, along its longitudinal axis, into the first part by virtue of the specific shape of the fixing leg which, during the course of being pushed into the first part, urges the elastic feet apart.
This article may furthermore be unlocked by rotating the second part through a quarter turn. The specific form of the fixing leg, with an H-section, leads to stoppage of the urging apart of the elastic feet once the rotation through a quarter turn has been performed.
Once the article has been unlocked, it can no longer be relocked by a quarter turn and must be extracted from the support. It may nevertheless be locked on the support again if, once the article has been extracted from the support, the elastic feet are separated manually to free the fixing foot and to put the article into the initial configuration again for a new locking operation by pushing the fixing leg into the first part.
So-called “quarter turn” fasteners are also known, in particular in the automotive field, comprising a first part provided with elastic feet that are adapted to be inserted into a cavity of predetermined contour, as well as a second part comprising a head and a stem of rectangular cross-section, the first part and the second part being associated in such a manner that the stem is disposed parallel to and between the two elastic feet.
Such a fastener is adapted to assume an unlocking position in which the stem is angularly oriented so as not to urge the elastic feet apart; and a locking position obtained after a rotation through a quarter turn with respect to the unlocking position, in which the stem is angularly oriented so as to urge the elastic feet apart.
This fastener is thus lockable and unlockable by simply rotating its head.